At her recital performance at the Philharmonie Essen (May 28), the Festival Director Franz Xaver Ohnesorg awarded Hélène Grimaud the 2015 Klavier-Festival Ruhr Prize.

The prize was founded by Franz Xaver Ohnesorg to honor extraordinary pianistic performance or to celebrate a pianist’s lifetime achievement.

Ohnesorg praised Grimaud saying, “We owe to her numerous moments in which she touched our audience through her devotion and her fragility alike. We honor her as an exceptional artist and a wonderfully sincere person.”

Previous honorees of the award include Martha Argerich, Maurizio Pollini, Radu Lupu and Krystian Zimerman.

A special aspect of the prize is having the honoree nominate an up-and-coming pianist to receive a scholarship and perform at the event the following year. For her nomination, Hélène Grimaud chose 13-year-old pianist Aidan Mikdad.